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TiVo HD Unveiled - Meet Your Slingbox's New Best Friend

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Call in the band and strike up the fanfare; there’s finally a high definition TiVo that doesn’t cost as much as one month's rent! In fact, at $299, you could call TiVo's newest addition, the TiVo HD DVR, affordable! If all you needed to hear was HD TiVo and $299 in the same sentence, then don't hesitate. Go get one while the getting is good. If you want to learn more about the ultimate add-on for your Slingbox PRO, read on.

Not much less than a year ago, TiVo introduced the TiVo Series 3, their very first DVR capable of time-shifting high definition television. Considered by most to be the ultimate television recording device, the Series 3 appeared to have nearly everything going for it… including a lofty price tag.

Rumors have been circling the web that TiVo would be introducing a lower cost alternative to the Series 3, called the "Series 3 Lite" by various bloggers and websites. Those rumors turned out to be true: TiVo has officially unveiled its latest high-definition capable DVR, simply called the "TiVo HD."

Comparing Series 3 and the new TiVo HD

By most respects, it's remarkably similar to the original Series 3. Dual CableCARD slots, twin HD channel recording, home networking, and component and HDMI outputs (all the big features) are all present and accounted for. However, the Series 3 included 250GB of hard drive space. TiVo HD includes 160GB, which is good for about 20 hours of HD programming.

That much of a price cut hints that something’s missing, and you would be correct. Not everything is identical to the Series 3. For starters, TiVo has removed the fancy OLED display from the front panel, which was a feature most found silly anyway considering the whole point of TiVo is their easy-to-use on screen interface.

You also won’t find fancy Series 3 'Glo' premium backlit remote here, and instead the traditional plastic 'peanut-style' TiVo remote you’ve probably seen before… again something that most people won’t notice. If you had your heart set on the sleek 'Glo' remote, it will be available for purchase separately.

THX certification, something that only the most hardcore power users would care about, is also off the list.

Bottom line: there isn't that much difference between them, except for in the price tag. The current MSRP on the Series 3 demands a whopping $799, while list price on the new TiVo HD is a much more reasonable $299. Even at street prices, there’s at least a three hundred dollar difference in price between the two.

Build yourself a quasi Series 3… for way less than the original.

If your heart's set on a little more record time than 20 hours, DVRupgrade is selling customized TiVo HD units in a variety of sizes. For example, $399 gets you back up to 250GB, a $400 savings over the Series 3 at list prices. There's also 320, 400, 500, and 750GB offerings. And if that's not big enough for you, you can even grab one at a mind-boggling 1TB size.

Tack on an optional 'Glo' remote control for $50 bucks, and you can build yourself something close to (or better if recording time is what you're after) a TiVo Series 3 (minus the OLED display and THX certification) for way less. Order your custom TiVo HD from DVRupgrade.

TiVo HD DVR specs

Sources: Digital cable, Analog cable, Digital antenna (ATSC) and Analog antenna channels (satellite not supported)

Outputs: HDMI, Component video, S-video, Composite video, optical audio, Analog audio

Video output modes include: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i

Model Number: TCD652160

Included in Box:

  • TiVo HD box
  • TiVo remote control
  • Manual
  • Quick Start guide
  • Composite, Component, Power cables

Inputs: Dual CableCARD support (2 slots), Cable coax, Antenna Coax, Ethernet connection, USB 2.0 ports (2), phone line, E-SATA (for future use), TiVo Wireless G Network Adapter support

Product Name: TiVo® HD

TiVo HD Dimensions: 16.5” W x 12.625” D x 3.375” H

Weight: 12 lbs.

Supported Signal Sources:

  • Digital cable
  • Analog cable
  • Digital over-the-air antenna (ATSC)
  • Analog antenna

DOES NOT SUPPORT SATELLITE SERVICE



Got HDTV? Get yourself the new, TiVo HD today! Faster, cheaper, and without the fluff! Plus, you'll get free shipping when you pre-order from DVRupgrade.com!

What are you waiting for?! Order Now!

Want some FREE STUFF with that order? No problem! Just click the link above to place your order, and enter a coupon code at check out:

Special Offer #1: A FREE TiVo Glo Premium Remote with the purchase of ANY upgraded Series3 TiVo DVR or TiVo HD DVR (coupon code: GLOREMOTE07A)

Special Offer #2: $15 off of a TiVo Glo Premium Remote with the purchase of any stock TiVo HD DVR (coupon code: GLOREMOTE07B).

Special Offer #3: A free 6-foot HDMI cable with the purchase of any stock TiVo HD DVR (coupon code: HDMI07C).

Read more in: Cable / Satellite Boxes

Discussion:    Add a Comment | Comments 1-2 of 2 | Latest Comment

July 31, 2007 8:33 PM

Personally, I'd say that TiVo is a little late to this party. I've been using my Sony DHG-HDD250 (that I got on eBay for $400) to record HD video (it holds 30 hours on its 250GB drive) for the last year... and these things were released YEARS ago. It's CableCard capable, and offers an easy to use guide that requires no subscription fee. It also has configurable forward and back skipping buttons with no "hacking" needed. It's lacking a second tuner and recommendations, but for the price of this TiVo HD and a two year's subscription, you could buy the Sony AND a 2-tuner HDHomeRun to record HD to your computer (easy to send around your home network to any TV, or encode for iPod/PSP/etc)

August 23, 2007 8:28 PM

Looks like the new TivoHD only has 1 set of outputs in the back.... how would one connect both a slingboxAV and television to it? thanks much

Discussion:    Add a Comment | Comments 1-2 of 2 | Latest Comment

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